


Close to the Heart

by YoungJusticeAddict



Series: Tragedy Sparks Ingenuity [3]
Category: Ironheart (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Oscorp - Freeform, obvi not canon with whatever the put out for the Ironheart miniseries, surprise cameos - Freeform, the doucheborns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29706447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoungJusticeAddict/pseuds/YoungJusticeAddict
Summary: Riri Williams admired Tony Stark, and after his death she aspired to build her own suit. Little did she know, it would lead her to meet his successor, Peter Parker, and acquire an internship with him at Stark Industries. But years later when the embittered competitor and head of Oscorp, Norman Osborn, comes to her with an offer to learn from him as well, how could she refuse?
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Riri Williams & Morgan Stark, Riri Williams & Peter Parker
Series: Tragedy Sparks Ingenuity [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2182800





	Close to the Heart

**Year: 2028**

It was amazing. 

All of New York City was abuzz with the upcoming events. Dozens of prodigal children from across the country had been selected to showcase their projects for some of the most brilliant minds of today's technological moguls. Each child and a parent or guardian of their choosing were provided plane tickets, hotel stays, and food budgets courtesy of a one-of-a-kind agreement between Oscorp and Stark Industries; each of them setting money aside to fund a new foundation for aspiring, young, technological geniuses. There were rumors that some kids may even be scouted to work for either company as a school credit. An internship that could blow away the college admissions offices. 

And that's exactly what Riri Williams was gunning for. 

Sure, there were others there too. Similar companies with much smaller impact. Companies from overseas with lots of promises. But she was only focused on one. 

Stark Industries had been a dream of hers for as long as she could remember. Ever since the story broke about how a young, orphaned kid became one of the heirs to the largest tech company in the world, Riri was determined to study under him and eventually take her place as head inventor. Or CEO, perhaps. 

Just walking into the event space had her heart ready to beat out of her chest. At least 75 kids had been flown in for this. There was no way she would get noticed. So many of them had such advanced projects that she wondered if they hadn't had help. They were also very arrogant, far too confident in their abilities. She rolled her eyes as she passed them, tugging along a cart behind her carrying her own project. 

Eventually, Riri managed to get to a booth with her own name on it, towards the end of the first row. She began setting up when the sound of panicked footfalls grew closer. 

"Riri! I'm sorry. The line for the ladies room took forever. I'm glad you found your robot."

Her aunt Sharon bent down to smile at her, slightly out of breath from her sprint. Sharon had taken her in after half the universe disappeared. She was her father's sister, distant until the snap took both her father, Demetrius, and her mother, Ronnie. Riri had been only a year old at the time, and nearly died before someone had rallied the remaining police to start searching houses and apartments for orphaned kids. Sharon had been their emergency contact even though she and Demetrius hadn't spoken since Riri had been a week old. She had taken care of her alone until the Avengers brought everyone back and Riri actually got to meet her parents after her first day of school. 

When the news hit that Tony Stark had sacrificed himself to save the world, she began to idolize him. He was responsible for their happiness. For the peace in the world. 

That is, until heroes started becoming targets, and their families suffered the consequences. So Riri set out to do as Tony Stark once did, creating technology to help protect herself, her family, whoever needed it. Until technology failed her, and she couldn't save her family. 

Her father got diagnosed with cancer, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't come up with any kind of contraption to save him. He died two years after coming back to her, and her family was fractured once again. 

But she still had her mother and her aunt Sharon, who was still smiling down at her.

"It's not a robot. It's a suit."

"Well it looks like one. Are you sure you can fit in it? It looks too big for you."

" _ Yes _ ," Riri gave an exasperated sigh. "Will you please go find us some chairs? I think they're behind the stage."

After about 45 minutes, an older gentleman took the stage before them. He hooked the microphone to his shirt and tested it before speaking. "Welcome, children and guardians, to New York City and to the very first Oscorp-Stark foundation event. My name is Norman Osborn, and we have gathered you all here today, inspired by the young minds that will shape our future. Today, we will be going around and judging your works, giving out tips for improvement, admiring your progress, and talking to you all about the passion in your hearts. We will be getting started here soon, so let me go ahead and introduce my co-host, as well as the ambassadors for the other companies that are here with us today. And here he is, my co-host on behalf of Stark Industries, Peter Parker."

There he was, the kid who was handed SI on a platter, but was still putting in the effort to prove he deserved it. Riri watched him adoringly as he nervously made his way on stage. 

"H-Hello all, and thank you for participating. Please give a warm welcome to the ambassadors of the other companies here today." Peter went on to announce names and companies but Riri tuned it out, instead focusing on making sure her suit was perfect. 

Eventually dozens of voices filled the room as the event truly began. Riri introduced herself every few minutes to new faces, explained her project, and watched their faces grow ever more bored before moving on. She was beginning to lose momentum, and just wanted to go back to the hotel and forget anything ever happened. 

That is, until a smiling, 22-year-old Peter Parker stopped himself in front of her booth and was awestruck. 

Riri stood frozen, face turning red from nerves. She couldn't recite the same old song to Peter the way she did the others, but she also couldn't speak at all, just staring at him awkwardly. 

Peter noticed her hesitation and laughed a bit, starting things off for her, "Hi. What do we have here?"

Riri coughed, collecting her thoughts. "M-My suit. My Ironman suit."

Peter's eyes were kind, "Oh, how interesting. What made you want to make a suit?"

"Mr. Stark did. Well.. obviously..but I-I mean…"

"When he saved everyone," Peter understood.

"Yes. He brought my parents back. He saved us, you all did."

Peter gave her a sad smile, so she was quick to continue. 

"I-I started researching his suits and started getting pieces off the internet to study. I was lucky enough to find one of these," she took the hunk of metal off the booth table and held it out to Peter, who took it and tightened his jaw. 

"An arc reactor. Where did this come from?"

"I got it from a guy online selling random junk from the remnants of Avengers battles. He said his crew had gotten it from beneath an oil rig Mr. Stark had destroyed trying to save the president."

Peter relaxed his jaw and cracked another smile, "He didn't really care about the president, that was all Colonel Rhodes. He was there for Pepper."

Riri tilted her head, confused, "His wife? I didn't know she was there."

"Yeah. They tried to keep it out of the press. She had gotten really hurt…."

A moment passed between them before Riri broke the silence and continued before Peter began looking anymore sad. 

"Anyway, I got that but it was broken. I couldn't get it to work, it was too damaged. So I made my own." Riri tapped the center of her chest, showcasing the glowing circle powering her suit. 

"You made your own? That's awesome. It powers your whole suit? No external battery?"

"Yep. After that, I just built the suit with whatever I could find. It's not bulletproof but it'll do."

"Can you fly in it?"

Riri looked away, to some random stain on the floor, frowning. "Not really. Thrusters aren't powerful enough. I can hover though," her voice sounded hopeful towards the end.

"Hey, any progress is progress. What's your name?"

She straightened up, smiling at him again, "Riri Williams."

"Okay, Riri. I want you to give me a call once you get home safely. Do you live around here?"

"No, I'm from Chicago."

"Then call me sometime before you leave. We have a lot to discuss."

She almost passed out right there. Did she really have a chance to continue talking to him after the event? He would want to hear from her? She prayed their next conversation would lead to something better, like a reference letter or internship. 

She looked down to see he had been handing her a business card and she took it, hand shaking. He smiled at her before frowning as he was clapped on the back unceremoniously by his co-host. 

"Hello, kiddo. What do we have here? Another Stark junior?" Norman Osborn joked, his grin not quite reaching his eyes. 

"She is something all her own, Mr. Osborn. Quite a little genius in her own right," Peter nodded to Riri and ducked out from Norman's hand. He waved goodbye and headed off to the next booth. 

Norman glared at his retreating form then turned back to Riri with the same grin from before. "Well well, my apologies little lady. So, you made your own armor? Very impressive indeed. But something must have caught his eye about this, he hasn't handed out his card all morning to anyone."

Riri found a renewed sense of confidence at his revelation. "I built my own arc reactor, and it can power my whole suit on its own," she said proudly. 

Norman's grin changed, like a cat catching a canary, "Is that so? Not even us grown ups are allowed to use that stuff, it's patented." He rolled his eyes but returned to her, "Well, you certainly must intern with Oscorp. We could provide you with much better materials and tools. I'm sure you would look forward to something like that, hmm?"

Riri's eyes widened at his offer. She appreciated what she had to work with at home, but her family wasn't billionaires with billion dollar companies with unlimited resources. 

Still, she had Peter's offer to consider. Or rather, his lack of offer. He just handed her a business card and a promise of a phone call. No mention of an internship like she had hoped. But maybe that came later, after he talked to her more and discovered her strengths. And if Osborn had been right, she was the only one he had considered. 

She looked up to Norman, "I-I'll have to think about it. My family would have to move to be here. I'm from Chicago."

Norman nodded, "Sure, of course. And should you decide to take up my offer, we will help you relocate. Call my offices with your parents and we can discuss terms and draw up paperwork." He handed her a business card as well, and she took it carefully. "I'll be here in the building for a few hours if you decide sooner." He then turned around and headed out of the room, heading for a smaller conference room and making a phone call.

Riri turned to look at her aunt behind the booth, "Did you see that?"

Sharon nodded, holding up her phone, "I did, baby girl. I got it all on film to show your mom, too."

Riri smiled and rolled her shoulders. This armor was getting heavy. They both decided then to head back to their hotel and box up the suit for when they travel back in a few days. 

Riri laid on her back on the bed, both business cards in her hand. Oscorp had more of an instant gratification, offering her access to equipment and materials right off the bat. Though, Norman didn't seem too interested in her, just what she could do. 

Peter on the other hand treated her like a person, like someone under the armor. But maybe she was biased in her feelings, having admired him for the last few years that he had publicly been working for SI. Peter's not-offer just felt more genuine, with a greater depth waiting for her. And it was what she had been wanting this whole time, so how could she say no?

She slid the cards over one another between her fingers, staring at the colors. Osborn's was beyond professional, with crisp edges and embossed text, while Peter's was simple, just his name and number. No mention of Stark Industries. Was this his personal line?

Her heart shot into her throat. There was no way he would trust his personal number to an eleven-year-old kid. 

That was brave of him. She would have to keep that safe from getting lost. Riri sat up and put just Peter's card in her suitcase. Looking at Osborn's card, she frowned and dropped it in the trash bin. She had a good feeling about Stark Industries, and about Peter. 

She just hoped she wasn't making a mistake. 


End file.
